Nugget Of Wisdom: Forget Controversy

December 23, 1989|By Derek Catron of the Sentinel Staff

For a team awash in controversy, the Denver Nuggets play pretty good basketball.

There will be no argument from the Orlando Magic, victims of a 137-125 drubbing at the Orlando Arena on Friday night, about the quality of the Nuggets' play, but a controversy? Denver Coach Doug Moe swatted away any such notions.

''Ah, that's just something for the fans to talk about,'' Moe said. ''You're going to have problems anywhere, but it doesn't affect us at all.''

The problem boiled down to a complaint from scoring star and captain Alex English - the NBA's seventh all-time leading scorer - that he wasn't getting enough playing time and, consequently, enough points. He was quoted as demanding a trade.

English's 39-minute, 22-point effort against Cleveland on Wednesday night was a rarity, and the Nuggets, who won, 104-89, were supposed to be embroiled in the controversy of English's minutes.

But, as Moe insisted, there wasn't any controversy. Friday night there was no one to argue.

English played 32 minutes, scored 25 points (equaling his season high) and led a frightfully accurate shooting attack by Denver with a 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) effort.

As a team, the Nuggets shot 58.6 (58 of 99), including 30 of 47 (63.8 percent) in the first half when the Nuggets opened a 70-53 lead.

''We only got a hand in their face about half the time,'' Magic Coach Matt Guokas said. ''They move the ball so quickly that when their offense is executed that well, it's hard to catch up with them.''

''We've played together so long it's supposed to happen this way,'' English said, any controversy forgotten. ''I think we can beat just about anybody when we play tough defense.''

Walter Davis, who came off the bench to score 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Denver's ball movement was the key.

''We moved the ball well and when we get it going like that and everybody's hitting, we're tough to beat,'' Davis said.

Moe agreed. ''It's got to be frustrating to the other team,'' he said. ''We were moving it down quickly and getting easy layups or open shots.''

And the controversy? Moe laughed it off.

''Alex wants to be traded. Is that bad? For me it's laughable how distorted it gets,'' Moe said. ''Everything just gets blown out of proportion. I think of it like the Zsa Zsa Gabor trial. There's no substance there.''